Princess Diana and Prince William have similarities as parents. AP / John Redman / Pool / Samir Hussein / Contributor / Getty Images
Princess Diana changed the way parenting looked in the royal family.
Diana, the Princess of Wales, and Prince William, at a polo match on June 29, 1987. Julian Parker/UK Press/Getty Images
Historically, the royal family has been formal with children in public, avoiding public displays of affection.
Queen Elizabeth, in particular, was physically distant from her children, shaking King Charles’ hand when she returned from a royal tour when he was a young child, according to Romper.
But Diana was clearly a different kind of parent from the moment she became a mother.
Although she had many formal royal responsibilities as the Princess of Wales, Diana made clear during her life that her children were her focus.
Prince William and Princess Diana at a polo match in 1987. Tim Graham / Contributor / Getty Images
“Most importantly, [my role is] being a mother and a wife,” Diana said in November 1985. “That’s what I try to achieve; whether I do is another thing, but I do try.”
“I live for my sons,” she went on to say. “I would be lost without them.”
That mentality led Diana to hug her sons, hold their hands, and play with them, no matter if they were in public or private.
Prince William is also a hands-on parent, though he’s slightly more formal than his mother.
Prince William has been transparent that his mother’s legacy has helped to shape the person he is.
But he is also the heir to the British throne, meaning even his moments as a parent are closely monitored by the press.
William seems to have struck a balance between his mother’s and the monarchy’s historical approach to parenting, based on photos of him with his children.
The Princess of Wales kept her children close to her, which was unusual for a royal.
Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit Australia with their son, Prince William. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images
In 1983, Diana and Charles went on a royal tour of Australia, and Diana insisted they bring a then 9-month-old Prince William with them.
Her decision broke with royal tradition, as heirs’ children typically didn’t accompany their parents on royal tours.
William and his wife, Kate Middleton, who is now the Princess of Wales, have followed in Diana’s footsteps when it comes to travel.
Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince George in 2014. Mark Nolan/Stringer via Getty Images
William and Kate brought Prince George on a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2014 when he was just 1 year old, paying homage to Charles and Diana’s trip.
When Prince Harry and Prince William were young, Princess Diana was often holding them in photos.
Prince Harry with Princess Diana in 1987. AP/John Redman
In this photo, Diana holds Prince Harry on her hip on a vacation in Majorca, Spain, in August 1987.
Prince William doesn’t snuggle his children as often as his mother cuddled him in photos, but his kids clearly feel comfortable turning to him for support.
Prince George and Prince William in 2016. Pool / Samir Hussein / Contributor / Getty Images
Photographers captured Prince George hugging his father tightly while they were on a royal tour of Canada in September 2016.
Diana even broke royal protocol to greet her sons on one occasion.
Diana greets her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, on the deck of the yacht Britannia in Toronto, when they joined their parents on an official visit to Canada in October 1991. Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images
When she was reunited with William and Harry on a yacht in Toronto, Canada, in 1991, Diana was photographed throwing her arms open to hug her boys, which was against royal protocol at the time.
“She would just engulf you and squeeze you as tight as possible and being as short as I was then, there was no escape, you were there for as long as she wanted to hold you,” Prince Harry reflected on his mother’s hug in the documentary “Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy.”
“Even talking about it now, I can feel the hugs that she used to give us,” he added.
William doesn’t hug his children as freely as his mother in public, but their embraces look natural when he does hug his kids.
Princess Charlotte and Prince William in 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images
During a royal tour of Canada in 2016, William was photographed holding Charlotte as she played with a balloon animal.
The prince grinned easily as he held his daughter.
The late Princess of Wales didn’t sit on the sidelines of Harry and William’s lives.
Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry visit Thorpe Park in 1993. Julian Parker/UK Press/Getty Images
Princess Diana was not only committed to giving Prince Harry and Prince William lives that were as “normal” as possible, but she also actively participated in the fun of their childhood.
In 1993, she took them to Thorpe Park and went on a log flume with them, all three grinning as they reached the bottom.
Although he is more reserved with his children in public, private photos released by the royal family show William having fun with his kids just like his mother.
Prince William was tackled by his kids. The Duchess of Cambridge via Reuters
Kate Middleton snapped this shot of her children piling onto Prince William in 2020, when his birthday and Father’s Day fell on the same day.
The children giggle as they fall off of their dad’s back, matching their father’s own grin.
In almost every photo taken of Harry and William playing as children, Diana is nearby.
Princess Diana at Highgrove with Prince William and Prince Harry in 1986. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images
As Insider previously reported, the late princess coordinated her schedule to match her sons’ as much as she possibly could.
Photos of William playing with his children are typically taken in private.
Prince Louis and Prince William in 2019. Matt Porteous/ Reuters.
The Prince and Princess of Wales released candid photos of their family at the RHS Back to Nature Garden in 2019.
In one of the shots, William pushes Prince Louis on a rope swing, grinning at his son.
There are dozens of photos of Diana supporting her children, like any non-royal parent.
Princess Diana, Prince Harry, and Prince William at Highgrove House in 1986. Tim Graham / Contributor / Getty Images
In this photo of Diana and her sons at Highgrove, Diana holds Prince Harry as he stands on a fence.
William has also been photographed giving his kids a helping hand.
Princess Charlotte, Prince William, and Kate Middleton in 2019. Pool/Getty Images
During their 2016 Canadian tour, William helped Charlotte walk up the steps of a plane.
Diana wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty to make her children happy.
Princess Diana with her sons on Necker Island in 1990. Tim Graham / Contributor / Getty Images
During a vacation on Necker Island in 1990, Diana let Prince William, Prince Harry, and their friends bury her in the sand.
She grinned up at the group as she sat in the sand.
William shows his love for his children with shared interests.
Prince William and Kate Middleton with their children at a Premier League match between Norwich City and Aston Villa. Stephen Pond/Getty Images
William has yet to be photographed with his children piling sand on top of him, but he attends soccer games with Prince George and Princess Charlotte fairly regularly.
In this shot, William and George look at the field as Norwich City and Aston Villa play in 2019.
The love between Diana and her sons was obvious in photos.
Princess Diana and Prince William at the International Horse Show in Olympia, West London, in 1990. Mirrorpix / Contributor / Getty Images
In this picture, William looks lovingly at his mother as they embrace at the International Horse Show in December 1990.
In 1992, Diana spoke of how important hugging was to her.
“Hugging has no harmful side effects,” she said. “If we all play our part in making our children feel valued, the result will be tremendous. There are potential huggers in every household.”
And the same is true for Prince William and his kids, even if we don’t see candid moments of the family as often.
A photograph of Prince William with his children in Petra, Jordan. Kensington Palace
Kate Middleton took this gleeful photo of Prince William with his children in Petra, Jordan, in 2021.
They shared it publicly for Father’s Day 2022.
